Chapter 28: Milly — Summary and Key Takeaways

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Summary

After Oona leaves the cookout, Uncle Archer dozes off on the futon, leaving Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah to clean up. The task is light—scrubbing the grill, putting away utensils, and bagging the disposable plates and cups. Once finished, Jonah goes to dispose of the trash while Aubrey and Milly retreat to the patio. Aubrey, tired of the rigid metal chairs, fetches a large blanket from inside, and the two spread it on the grass, lying on their backs and gazing up at the stars.

Milly remarks that the place is actually pleasant, though they're leaving soon. Aubrey expresses how much she'll miss Milly, and the two share a moment of mutual affection. Practical concerns soon surface: how will they get back to the dorms? Aubrey half-jokes about texting Efram, then suggests they simply stay overnight—there's an extra room. Milly objects that they have nothing to sleep in, but Aubrey points out that's only a problem for her.

Jonah joins them on the blanket, and as Aubrey sits up, her phone slips out of her pocket along with a thin silver card. Milly picks it up and hands it back. Aubrey grimaces, admitting she took the keycard from Gran's house when Mrs. Ryan told her to leave. It opens the gate at Catmint House. Jonah laughs, calling it “next-level petty revenge,” though Aubrey insists she had no plan—it was spur-of-the-moment.

The conversation shifts to the day's revelations. Milly mentions how they keep circling back to Uncle Anders, expecting Jonah to agree given his hatred for him. But Jonah surprises her by pointing out that they also keep returning to Theresa Ryan. Unlike Anders, she's never left the island; she's been whispering in their grandmother's ear the whole time. Jonah speculates that Theresa might be unbalanced—perhaps losing her son pushed her over the edge, leading her to harm Kayla Dugas and have Dr. Baxter cover it up. He suggests their grandmother might know the truth but is too dependent on Theresa to act, having already cut ties with her children. Milly is dubious but admits it's no weirder than anything else that's happened. She asks why Mrs. Ryan would hurt Kayla, but Jonah doesn't know—only that their grandmother freaked when Aubrey brought up Kayla's name.

Aubrey, exhausted, yawns and proposes they crash there for the night. Milly agrees, noting her red dress isn't ideal for sleeping. Jonah offers to lend her something clean to wear. As Aubrey heads inside, Milly thanks Jonah for the clothes. He remarks that the dress is a family heirloom—her mother's dress—and reveals he remembers her telling them that on the ferry the first day. He recalls more: her sunglasses in the rain, her calling him a J. Crew model and a constipated gnome, and buying them gin and tonics. He then confesses his three secrets from that first meeting: he's not actually their cousin, their uncle led his parents into bankruptcy (and he planned to make him pay), and he thought Milly was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.

Milly draws back, warning him not to get mixed up with a Story—they're a mess. Jonah smiles, saying he's a mess too, and even failed at being one of them, getting them kicked out of the Summer Gala. Milly reflects on Uncle Archer's earlier advice about forgiveness, realizing it applies not just to forgiving others but also to forgiving oneself. She admits that the kiss at the gala was her fault—she threw herself at him when he was just trying to help. Jonah grins, saying that's the only part of the night he doesn't regret. Their hands touch, and he asks if she'd like to try again. She does.

Key Events

Uncle Archer falls asleep, and the cousins clean up the cookout.
Aubrey and Milly lie on a blanket, discussing their departure and the possibility of staying overnight.
Aubrey's keycard from Catmint House falls out of her pocket; she admits she took it from Gran's house.
Jonah theorizes that Theresa Ryan may have harmed Kayla Dugas and covered it up with Dr. Baxter's help.
Aubrey suggests they stay overnight; Milly agrees, and Jonah lends her clothes.
Jonah reveals he is not actually their cousin, that Uncle Anders bankrupted his parents, and that he found Milly beautiful from the start.
Milly takes responsibility for kissing Jonah at the gala, and they share another kiss.

Character Development

Milly shows significant growth in this chapter. She moves from a defensive, guarded stance to a more open and forgiving one. She acknowledges her own fault in the gala kiss, something she previously deflected. Her reflection on Uncle Archer's advice about forgiveness—both for others and oneself—marks a turning point in her emotional maturity. She also lets down her guard with Jonah, admitting she might have helped him if he'd told her about his plan for revenge.

Jonah becomes more vulnerable and honest. He reveals his true identity and his motive for coming to the island, shedding his earlier deception. His confession that he found Milly beautiful from their first meeting shows a romantic sincerity that contrasts with his earlier scheming. He also demonstrates a capacity for self-deprecating humor, calling himself a mess and admitting he failed at being a Story.

Aubrey shows a mischievous, impulsive side with the keycard theft, but also a practical, caring nature as she suggests they stay overnight and offers to share the bed. Her exhaustion highlights the emotional toll the day has taken.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Forgiveness is the central theme of this chapter. Uncle Archer's earlier words about forgiveness echo in Milly's mind, and she realizes that forgiving oneself is as important as forgiving others. This is a direct contrast to Mildred's inability to forgive her children, which has shaped the family's dysfunction.

Family secrets and identity deception are explored through Jonah's confession. He is not a blood relative, and his entire presence on the island was built on a lie—a scheme for revenge. This revelation complicates the cousins' understanding of their family and their own identities.

Suspicion and cover-up are advanced through Jonah's theory about Theresa Ryan. The idea that she might have harmed Kayla Dugas and used Dr. Baxter to cover it up adds a new layer to the mystery, suggesting that the family's secrets extend beyond the siblings.

Dependence is highlighted in Jonah's speculation that Mildred is too reliant on Theresa to act against her, even if she knows the truth. This mirrors the broader theme of how the Story family members are trapped by their dependencies—on money, on secrets, on each other.

Romantic connection blossoms between Milly and Jonah, symbolizing a potential new beginning that transcends the family's toxic history. Their kiss is a moment of genuine connection, untainted by the schemes that brought them together.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is pivotal for both the mystery and the character relationships. It introduces a new suspect—Theresa Ryan—and suggests a possible cover-up involving Dr. Baxter, shifting suspicion away from the Story siblings and toward an outsider who has remained close to Mildred. This opens up new avenues for the investigation and raises questions about what Mildred knows and why she might be protecting Theresa.

Equally important, the chapter solidifies the romantic bond between Milly and Jonah, moving it from a flirtation to a genuine connection. Jonah's confession of his true identity and motives adds emotional depth to his character and creates a potential ally for Milly in uncovering the family's secrets. The theme of forgiveness, both self-directed and outward, sets up a possible resolution for the Story family's generational trauma.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Milly decide to stay overnight at the house, and what does this decision reveal about her?

Milly agrees to stay because she's tired and doesn't want to travel back to the dorms, but also because she's growing comfortable with Jonah and Aubrey. It shows she's letting her guard down and embracing the messy, complicated bonds forming between them, rather than retreating to safety.

What does Jonah's confession about his three secrets reveal about his motivations and his feelings for Milly?

Jonah reveals he is not a real cousin, that he came to the island to make Uncle Anders pay for bankrupting his parents, and that he found Milly beautiful from the start. This shows his initial motives were revenge-driven, but his feelings for Milly have become genuine, complicating his original plan.

How does the conversation about Theresa Ryan shift the focus of the mystery?

Jonah's theory that Theresa Ryan might have harmed Kayla Dugas and covered it up with Dr. Baxter's help redirects suspicion from the Story siblings to an outsider who has remained close to Mildred. It suggests the family's secrets may be intertwined with Theresa's own motives, and that Mildred might be complicit or dependent, adding a new layer to the central mystery.